Michael Ballack slams Diego Costa for plotting mega-rich China switch as Spaniard already earns £150,000-a-week
Striker endured a training ground bust-up with boss Antonio Conte after China rumours heated up
MICHAEL BALLACK has told Diego Costa to forget his incredible Chinese payday – as he will already be unable to spend the massive wages he earns at Chelsea.
Costa has been pushing for a switch to earn £30million a year in wages in China and he could still make the move this summer.
Yet former Chelsea midfielder Ballack admits he is stunned by the massive increase in Premier League wages with Costa banking £150,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge.
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Ballack, 40, who spent four years at Chelsea until 2010, said: “Overall, it's crazy. These are numbers that we are not used to, even if in England there has been a lot of money involved for a while.
“Hopefully we will come back a bit to the normal days and players will remember they are playing in the best league in the world and that, I think, is what counts for you as a player.
“If you are on a high salary and you are earning, let's say, enough money which you normally can't spend in your lifetime.
“You should then think about where you play, what level you play, the audience. But still, there are players that make that step and you have to accept it because of certain reasons.
“First I have to congratulate him (Costa), to get an offer like this! I never got an offer like that. Although I got good money, as well. It seems to be another level since the guys from China disturbed the market a bit - and the brains of the players.
“Living in China is a totally different culture and the league is not well known, it is quite young. It is a decision by the Chinese league, by the Chinese people and they are responsible for that. Football has a history and England has a history, and so does Spain and Germany and Europe as a whole.
“Football in Europe is of course number one and that is what everyone watches because the best players in the world compete in this area. I don’t want to say it should be like this forever because the market regulates itself - but it is something you should think about as a player.”
Ballack has been impressed by Antonio Conte’s handling of the situation which saw Costa axed from the squad before returning to score against Hull on Sunday.
The former Bayern Munich star said: “He (Conte) took him out of the squad, which was an understandable situation. But also the answer’s good from Costa. They they are two really high-class professionals dealing with each other.
“One is the coach, the other is the player and overall there is the club.
Finally the club will make a decision. They could make it understandable that this the right club and he has a contract and he should do his job. If he understands that, it should work.”
**Michael Ballack was speaking at an event for Star Sixes, a new world football tournament for former international players to be held at The O2, London, from July 13 to 16. Ballack is captaining Germany at the 12-team, six-a-side tournament.*
*Tickets for the first-ever Star Sixes will go on sale on Friday at 9am at: **www.theo2.co.uk/starsixes* <//www.theo2.co.uk/starsixes>* Follow: @starsixes*